System: Case of a Mining-Based Service Provider

Abstract

The study investigates the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in a case study organisation to reduce system complexity and achieve improved operational efficiency. It was established that the operational system for the case study firm had become complex to manage using manual systems. The research presents a design criterion with the boundary requirements that needed to be met for the successful implementation of ERP by establishing the critical success factors. The major constraint areas of the operational system were identified to be maintenance and logistics. A detailed analysis was conducted to identify aspects which could be improved. A web-based 3-layered ERP system with the ability to support multiple vendor solutions was found to be the best suited for the firm's requirements. A sample web-based database application was developed to confirm the viability of a web-based solution. This application also demonstrated how an ERP system could automate major processes through breakdown data capturing and reporting processes. It also provided insight into how an ERP system could organize information in the right format for decision-making and achieve improved internal communication, collaboration, and operational efficiency.